This study sets out to analyse the policies of the Labour Party and the attitude of the movement to the Northern Ireland problem. The main focus will be the Labour movement during the years of opposition between 1979 and 1997 with a brief overview of the years preceding the 1979 election. The policies, ideas and arguments on the question of Northern Ireland need to be analysed against the backdrop of the enormous changes which the Labour Party itself went through in its eighteen years of opposition. These included various policy changes as well as ideological and structural changes, beginning with a sharp move to the left in 1981, followed by a steady reform process initiated by Neil Kinnock and ultimately resulting in Tony Blair's 'New Labour Party': a party almost unrecognisable compared to that led by James Callaghan. This thesis sets out to look at the broad Labour movement with all its various pressure groups.